Improvement in detaching horses



c. J. 'WALSER. DETACHINGHORSES. No.18fL934. I Patented Nov. 28,1876.

igpiinems I filxmmfur v jimmy;

TH E GRAPHIC C0.N.V-

Ulvrrnn S'rn'rns PATENT crates.

CHARLES, J. WALSER, 0F It NoAs'rnR, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DETACH ING HORSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 184,934, dated November 28, 1876; application filed October,9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES JOS. WALSER, of the city and county of Lancaster, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Devices for Detaching Horses from Vehicles, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to a class of devices for detaching the traces from the fixed pins on the ends of whiffletrees, so that when a horse becomes unmanageable, a pull upon a cord convenient to the drivers hand will simultaneously detach both traces. This I accomplish by means of a plate, moved horizontally hack and forth on each end of the whiflletree, in the manner herein more fully set forth.

The accompanying drawings clearly illustrate my device, and a brief explanation of the letters of reference marked thereon will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the whiffletree-with the trace in place at one end and detached at the other. Fig. 2 shows the plate reversed, as when attached to the under side. Fig. 3 shows the binding screw, washers, and eye or pulley F. Fig. 4 shows a section of the end of a whiffletree and the sliding plate, 850.

The plate B has a slot, 1), in which it slides, under the gum washer G. This plate has its inner end bent nearly at right angles, to form a perforated flange, O, for the cord attach- 'ment, the outer end being bent U fashion,

and has the outer limb D slotted, and the inner, E, perforated for the fixed pin to enter through as the plate is slid in or out on the horizontal plane, whether attached on the top or the under side of the whiffletree A, which latter is terminated by the ordinary ferrule I and fixed pin H. 4

There is a screw, with an eye, F, or its equivalent, for the cord to pass around or through. This screw enters through the slot b in the plate B, and is provided with metallic washers f beneath the plate B, and over and under a stout gum-elastic washer, G, which secures the binding of the screw, and

prevents all rattling, and firmly holds the plate B in its position.

In order to push these plates out simultaneously, so as to release vthe traces T from the pins H, a cord with a stout knot or button on the end is passed through the opening in the flange O on the end of B, and carried through the eye F of the fixed screw, 011 which the plates B move by being slotted for the purpose; thus the cord is carried from one side of the whiffletree to the other, and passed through the eye F of the screw and flange 0, where it is confined by a similar knot or button. This cord may be of any desired length, and centrally attached to another cord, or doubled back to the vehicle or within easy reach of the driver.

It will be seen that by pushing the boltlike plates back after the trace is placed between the limbs E D, the pin H will enter the slot or hole in the trace and the hole 6 and slot 01 in said limbs E D, and the horse is attached by the traces.

A pull on the combined cord is will draw the flanges O outward against the gum washer, so as to push the whole plate horizontally outward, and thereby release the traces from the pins and disengage the horse at once from the shafts of the vehicle, as the backing-straps used are such as will also be disengaged on the release of the traces.

I am aware that in the patents of Israel Landis of December 16, 1873, and February 3, 1874, Nos. 145,662 and 147,142, plates are used on the ends of whiffletrees, operated by a cord; but the cord acts upon a hinged or an elastic plate, secured to the whiffletree by a fulcrum-pin, and made to react by a spring, or is connected to the end of a spring to allow it to turn up by the yielding of the spring.

I disclaim springs of any kind, or hinging or connecting so as to prevent a sliding motion of the plate, whether placed under or on top of the whiffletree. I use a free plate, sliding to and fro horizontally in a line with the whiffletree. Therefore What I claim as my invention is- The freesliding plate B,--,with -its islet-Tab, bemeadily vpu shedwin orfl-d l a wn put; uh m lzonperforated flange 0, and U'bent end, having. tally, the svholeian'anged and operating as the limbs perforated or slotted, in eombinaand for the purpose specified. tion with the binding-screw, having an eye, a F, for a cord, k, and provided wit'li a gum Witnesses: washer, G, interposed between metallic wash- WM. B. WILEY, ersf and plate B, so that the said plate can J. STAUFFER. T

CHAS. JOS. 'WALS ER. 

